Growing Add Hope donations helps feed local children in Cape Town

Date published: 20 September 2017

What started out as a simple idea to combine KFC Corporate Social Investment contributions and customer donations to fight hunger, has become something extraordinary. When Add Hope started in 2009, customers quickly started to donate R2 at the till. Since then, this remarkable initiative has seen donations from customers multiply every year, from R6.2 million in 2010 to R38.6 million in 2016. Add Hope has now raised over R400-million through KFC and customer donations combined and feeds over 120 000 children through partnerships with over 137 NGOs, making it one of the biggest private sector feeding initiatives in South Africa.

With World Hunger Month coming up in October, with World Food Day on 16th October, over R5 million is expected to be raised in customer donations, going towards the overall target of R43 million in 2017.

In a country where hunger and poor nutrition pose a major risk to the health, wellbeing and education of millions of children, initiatives like this are playing a vital role. For Thandie Matikinca and her team at HOPE worldwide South Africa in the Cape, Add Hope funding means they can sustainably address the incredible need they see in local communities. Thandie co-ordinates her NGO’s activities in Cape Town and surrounds, supporting Early Childhood Development centres that reach over 2300 children. “In order to reach underprivileged children, we support crèches. We find the most beat-down centres and we aim to transform then until they are in their best condition. We make sure they provide nutritious food to the children and create a healthy environment for the children to play, learn and grow,” says Thandie.

From 2014 to-date, Thandie has ensured that 16 Educare[MA1] Centres in Gugulethu and Nyanga have been registered with the Department of Social Development and more than 500 parents have been trained on positive parenting and ECD skills. “This organization has brought me the greatest gift of investing in children. It is so fulfilling to see communities grow from poverty-stricken and hopeless to sustainable and hopeful.”

HOPE worldwide SA is one of a growing list of 137 beneficiary organisations Add Hope supports nationally, with 12 national organisations and 36 smaller local organisations active in the Cape. “We work with larger, national beneficiaries, including JAM, Afrika Tikkun and SOS Children’s Villages, as well as over 125 smaller organisations nationally that are chosen by our franchisees so that they can have an impact in their local communities,” says Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC Africa Corporate Affairs Director. “The funds can only be used for feeding children from birth to 18, including on-site feeding and food parcels that are sent out to families. Beneficiaries including childhood development organisations, children’s homes and school feeding programmes are added every year.”

The pressure is on to maintain levels of feeding and increase the children Add Hope is able to reach through organisations like HOPE worldwide SA. Mkhwanazi says KFC wants to partner with customers to do more. “Statistics SA shows that 51% of people are living in poverty, most of whom are children and African. Malnutrition is rife and this has a lifelong impact on physical, mental and social development. We need to do what we can to turn the tide on hunger. As KFC, we continue to increase our own CSI contributions, based on a percentage of profits. We also really appreciate every customer’s donation as these donations enable Add Hope to keep increasing the amount of children we reach. Add Hope works because it’s a small donation that is quick to add – it’s really the power of the collective to change lives. Your R2 fills 120 000 children with hope.”

Add Hope, a powerful initiative that sees KFC customers and staff unite in the fight against hunger, has now reached the milestone of feeding 120 000 children around the country nutritious meals, every day, through supporting sustainable feeding programmes at a growing list of 137 beneficiary organisations.
Add Hope raises money through customer donations added at the till or on the Add Hope website, as well as donating a percentage of KFC profits as its own Corporate Social Responsibility contribution. In 2016, Add Hope raised R39 million, with every cent of customer R2 donations going towards feeding children. Over the past seven years, Add Hope has raised close to R400 million with KFC corporate social responsibility donations and customer donations combined.

About KFC:

KFC is part of Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries and 1.4 million company and franchise associates. Yum! is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $12 billion in 2011. KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain, specialising and famous for its Original Recipe®. The secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices was first developed in 1940 and the same recipe is still used across the world today.